Question
I’m an EU citizen but my husband is a Non-EU Spouse. Can he come with me to live in Spain without needing to get a Spanish non lucrative visa? Can we both work in Spain if we want? Thanks.
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“Yes, you can; he will piggyback off your EU status. You will need health insurance and need to show 7000 in funds. You both get visas which will allow both of you to work”
(Lawyer answer) “Yes, you could both fly into Spain tomorrow and start living here. An EU citizen can work immediately, the spouse of an EU citizen can work from the moment they submit the residency application.
You will need Residency if you plan to live long term, but you do not have to apply for it before 90 days, you have time. Generally, the sooner the better. An EU citizen residency is called Certificate of Register EU (green card).
For your spouse, residency is called Family Member of an EU citizen, for 5 years with a right to work. The application is submitted digitally to the immigration office and can take several months. When approved he would then go to the Immigration Police for a TIE card.”
“No, I was in the same position, my wife Spaniard me American. Had to go through the whole residency requirements. Get ready for a lot of paperwork! However, there’s no need for visas, just registration once in Spain.
And it’s different when one partner is Spanish, because EU nationals can’t exercise EU Treaty Rights in their own country, so they have to go through the domestic immigration system of that country. Where the partner is a national of another EU country, they just register for residency under EU rules.”
“Of course he can come with you. You can definitely work but not 100% certain about him. I would think yes, as he can as the family member of an EU National. But they both need to register so he can get a TIE.”
Conclusion
The ability for a non-EU spouse of an EU citizen to live and work in Spain seems largely positive, with requirements primarily revolving around registration and obtaining the correct residency documents.
Essential points include the need for health insurance, demonstrating financial stability, and the potential for some bureaucratic navigation. Participants shared personal experiences and emphasized the distinction between general EU and Spanish-specific regulations.
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